unicorn chaser
by josephine kier
Summary: set in england at the begining of the 19th century
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
The sun was setting and the sky was filled with a burst of triumphant colour; reds, pinks and yellows softly intermingling, cascading in between banks of fluffy white clouds. Down below, sitting on the carved-stone bench of her rose garden , was Lady Anne of Glenwycke Manor. Her gaze was fastened on the dark forest lying in the distance and the expression on her smooth ,oval face was one of deep calm but also of wistful yearning. Many evenings she had sat thus, hands protectively clasped over her midriff ,waiting for something in the dusk till twilight fell and night swept its protective mantle over the countryside. Then, when the moon had risen and the air was full of the flutterings of wings and the croakings of frogs she would lift herself heavily from her seat and return to her chamber.  
  
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"Your time has come Milady" said the midwife to Anne. The latter was sitting in her shift on the edge of her bed. A few hours ago she had felt a sharp pain in the small of her back and knowing her time was near she had sent for the village midwife. The woman ,named Ailith, was stout and buxom, her greying hair swept up into a tight bun under her starched cap. From a distance she looked imposing, forbidding even, but the impression soon faded when one saw her warm ,intelligent, brown eyes surrounded by a labyrinth of wrinkles. Anne had looked at her once and known she was in good hands, her fears abating . Not so for Ailith. In her eyes her Lady was but a young girl, her hips too slim to allow an easy birth. But she had hidden her apprehension and set about ordering hot water, towels and all the things Lady Anne might need. Anne could hear the patter of footsteps on the stairs and her husband's pacing outside her door. Suddenly she grabbed the midwife's wrist and said breathlessly: "Please, please leave my window open". Ailith's mouth opened in surprise at such a request, but she silently complied and a breath of night air scented with resin came into the room from the nearby forest.  
  
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She had been labouring for hours. Her strength would not last much longer; Around her all was darkness and pain ,except for one thing ,beckoning, silently fortifying her, whispering softly, comfortingly in her ear. She smelt resin, the sweet smell of thousands of decaying leaves and then the smell of blossoms , of spring ,of new life. And with a cry she delivered her child. She briefly heard the joyful shout of the midwife and thought her suffering had ended. But no, she was wrong, it was not over. Again she heard the soothing whispers in her ears and smelt even more strongly the scent of the primeval forest and of life. And finally she was free. The last thing she heard before falling into unconsciousness was the midwife's voice saying: "Look at the queer marking on this littlun's forehead". 


	2. Chapter One Day and Night

Chapter One  
« Day and Night »  
  
A thick cloak of snow was draped over the countryside, its surface unblemished by markings of any kind. The solitary trees held their bare branches up to the slate-grey sky seeming to beg for a little warmth and light. Dark clouds were massing on the horizon, but for the meanwhile there reigned an unearthly calm.  
In the distance, nestled cosily in a hollow, protected by a row of great oaks, lay Glenwycke manor. Sitting in the parlour were Lady Anne and her twin daughters. She was seated before a crackling fire, and, leaning against her knee, staring intently up at her was a young girl. She was named Melusine and the birthmark she had borne on her forehead had faded with time until it was but a mere shadow . She was a beautiful girl, her heart-shaped face framed by two very blond, almost white braids, with finely chiselled, delicate features. But her greatest beauty lay in her immense grey eyes. Melusine's gaze was fixed unwaveringly upon her mother's face as if she was trying to see something beyond her, to something far away, remote and hidden that only she could find. Anne, slightly unnerved by such close scrutiny called over to Catherine, Melusine's twin. One would never have guessed they were sisters ,let alone twins , so unalike were they. Cathy was taller and bigger-boned than her sister , possessing none of her endearing delicacy. Her round face was surrounded by a mass of riotous dark brown curls; her features were too large to be pretty and her only beauty resided in her slanted thickly-lashed eyes. Next to her twin she looked earthy, crude even; always set at a disadvantage. She was sitting on the window-seat staring outside while trying unconsciously to imitate one of her sister's graceful poses. Cathy had been watching the drive for most of the afternoon, waiting for her farther to return from London. He was sure to have brought a small gift back for both of his daughter's and a bolt of silk for her mother's new gown. But he was late and a storm was brewing. "Can you see him darling?" asked her mother anxiously. "No, but wherever he is he must make haste or he will be caught in the storm" Cathy rose from her seat and went to stand by the fireplace. Melusine joined her and slid a comforting arm around her waist. Looking at them Anne could not help but marvel at their difference in looks. Cathy had evidently inherited her father's dark complexion whereas Melusine may have inherited lore from her mother. But Anne's hair was a bright, vibrant red and her skin was freckled without even a hint of Melusine's creamy whiteness.  
Suddenly they heard the crunch of hooves on the drive and in a few minutes Lord Alexander Seton joined them. "No, don't kiss me , he said, I'm completely soaked. Chester threw me about a mile away and I had a dreadful time getting out of the snowdrift , while that stupid animal just stood there grinning at me. Ha!" His great booming laugh filled the room bringing a smile to his womenfolk's faces. "So ,my little girls you want your presents do you? All right ,here you are." He took two colourful packages out of his coat pocket and gave one to each girl. Cathy opened hers and caught her breath in delight. A ribbon was lying in her palm, dyed in the most beautiful colour she had ever seen : a wonderful aquamarine , a mixture of pale blue and green. She had never worn such a colour before, always being confined to reds and pinks which were supposed to suit her more. "Thank you papa. Oh! Thank you!", she cried delighted. "You like it do you?" said Lord Seton looking pleased with himself. "But, just a minute, I must have mixed up the packages. That colour wasn't for you darling, it was for Melusine. Yours is this one", he said, placing a bright red one in her palm. Cathy's face fell. Melusine noticed and quickly interceded, saying: "I don't mind having the red one, Cathy can keep the blue one if she wants to" "No darling it would look absolutely dreadful with your complexion. You must keep the blue one, it will suit you beautifully", exclaimed Lady Anne. And the matter was closed.  
  
They both wore their ribbons to dinner that evening and each time Cathy saw Melusine's, intertwined in her smooth braids, she felt a flicker of envy. 


End file.
